CANADA Infecting Boys & Young Men

The HPV vaccine for young males has been endorsed by a federal panel - The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended the use of HPV vaccine to protect males against genital warts, pre-cancerous lesions and anal cancer.

The group of experts said there is good evidence to recommend the use of Gardasil in males aged nine to 26. Gardasil is the only HPV vaccine indicated and recommended for boys and men in Canada.

The federal government announced funding to support a national HPV vaccination program in its March 2007 budget.

As you dig even deeper, the next marketing "layer" are the industry-paid physicians, researchers and other medical experts who provide consulting services, research and lectures about drugs -- lectures that typically target the physicians they depend on to recommend, prescribe, and dispense their medications.

These "experts" are very much on the drug industry's payroll -- but they masquerade as independent medical experts or even state officials during their "day jobs."

An ongoing investigation by ProPublica revealed that 12 drug companies paid $761.3 million to physicians for consulting, speaking, research and other expenses in 2009, 2010 and, for some, the beginning of 2011 -- and that represents only the disclosed payments.In all actuality, this figure is probably far too low.

As ProPublica reported:"Only the companies that have disclosed payments on their web sites are included. Their combined prescription drug sales amounted to about 40 percent of the U.S. market in 2010. Though a substantial share, the data may not be wholly representative of the industry."